How bold Aston Villa transfer could affect Sheffield United - 2 players may not be happy | OneFootball

Sheffield United have been linked with a move to sign Ross Barkley this January

Aston Villa’s Ross Barkley has emerged as a transfer target for Sheffield United this January.

It has been reported by Football Insider that the Blades are keen on a loan deal for the 32-year-old, who has fallen down the pecking order at Villa Park.

It remains unclear whether Unai Emery would be willing to sanction a move before the 2 February deadline, but his arrival at Bramall Lane could be a boost to the Championship side’s hopes of fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

Barkley has so far made just seven top flight appearances so far this season, all of which came as a substitute, and he is expected to be on the sidelines until next month with an injury.

Here we look at two Sheffield United players who may not be happy with the idea of bringing the former England international into Chris Wilder’s side this January…

Tom Davies

Tom Davies’ fitness issues this season have meant he’s been limited to just five appearances for the Blades in the Championship.

The midfielder has had a turbulent time since joining the club in the 2023 summer transfer window, with consistent fitness proving a real problem.

While there’s no doubt that a fully available Davies could be quite useful for Wilder’s side, the arrival of Barkley would surely signal him falling even further down the pecking order.

The two midfielders have similar skillsets, but the 32-year-old’s added quality and experience would see him favoured over the Sheffield United player.

With Davies’ contract set to expire in June, he’d have been hoping for a strong showing in the second half of the campaign to prove that he deserves to retain a place at the club long-term.

But if Barkley is signed on loan, then it won’t matter if he can get back to full fitness, it will still be very difficult to carve his way into the starting lineup.

His last league appearance for the Blades came on 8 November, but he did feature in the FA Cup third round loss to Mansfield Town, which will be encouraging for the 27-year-old.

Yet the arrival of Barkley could make that his last game for the Yorkshire outfit.

Andre Brooks

Andre Brooks has been more involved with Sheffield United this season than Davies, but he could find himself falling down the pecking order, with or without Barkley’s arrival.

While it’s been reported that Alex Matos could have his loan move from Chelsea cut short, the returns to fitness of Sydie Peck and Ollie Arblaster will give Wilder some fresh options to choose from.

The possible arrival of Barkley will also surely see him above Brooks in the first team squad, pushing him further away from the starting lineup.

He’s been a consistent presence in the team so far this season, starting 13 of their 25 league games so far, coming off the bench on a further eight occasions.

While his versatility is an asset, Barkley can similarly play as an eight or a 10, or maybe even out wide, so this could see him moved more permanently to the bench for the second half of the campaign, if he does join from Villa.